The Pittsburgh Penguins extended captain Sidney Crosby for another two seasons, inking him to a $17.4 million deal, equal to $8.7 million annually. Besides his entry-level deal from 2005 to 2008, Crosby has been humble regarding his salary, remaining at $8.7 million since 2008-09.
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While other superstars like Auston Matthews ($13.2 million) and Leon Draisaitl ($14 million) continue to push the upper boundaries of the salary cap sphere, neither of them has as many Stanley Cup rings as Crosby since their respective teams don’t have superstars willing to take a pay cut to build a contender.
Related: BREAKING: Crosby signs two-year contract extension
Most hockey fans know Crosby’s obsession with 87 since he was born on Aug. 7, 1987. He wears No. 87 and takes home a salary worth $8.7 million. Armed with that knowledge, we thought seeing what some high-profile skaters would make based on their jersey numbers would be fun.
Here are some of the highlights.
Connor Bedard – $9.8 million
Since the league retired Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99, no one would ever have an AAV of $9.9 million. However, former first-overall pick Connor Bedard would cash in a $9.8 million check, the most salary available in this dream scenario. He’d be joined by Mikhail Sergachev, Ilya Solovyov, and Victor Mete, who all wore No. 98 last season.
Connor McDavid – $9.7 million
Connor McDavid is considered the best player in professional hockey and will command an extension worth a minimum of $15 million. But, he would make less than Calder Trophy winner Bedard, who would take home a few extra thousand dollars since McDavid would make $9.7 million along with Kirill Kaprizov and Joshua Roy.
Elvis Merzlikins – $9.0 million
Move over Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and Sergei Bobrovsky (72), there’s a new top goalie in this category: Elvis Merzlikins. As the Columbus Blue Jackets top netminder, who happens to wear 90, he’d become the highest-paid goalie in the league, raking in $9.0 million if paid by the digits on the back of his jersey.
Evgeni Malkin – $7.1 million
As one of the top four Penguins players of all time, Evgeni Malkin would get a raise over his current $6.1 million AAV, pulling in an extra million for wearing No. 71. Last year, 17 players wore the same number, with Dylan Larkin producing the most points with 69.
Erik Karlsson – $6.5 million
The Penguins acquired former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson in 2023, picking up the final four years of his contract, which carries a $11.5 million AAV until 2027. Imagine how Pittsburgh could restructure its lineup if they cut Karlsson’s salary by $5 million.
Jake Guentzel – $5.9 million
Jake Guentzel was one of the NHL’s most sought-after free agents, leaving the Penguins at last season’s trade deadline and signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1. His seven-year deal is worth $63 million, or $9 million yearly. If he got paid $5.9 million instead, he’d save his new team over $3 million in cap space.
Connor Hellebuyck – $3.9 million
The reigning Vezina Trophy, Connor Hellebuyck, signed an extension in the summer of 2023. His new contract pays him $59.5 million over seven years while carrying an AAV of $8.5 million. In this situation, he’d be making almost $5 million less despite continuously leading the league in games played.
Related: 7 Fascinating Statistics About Sidney Crosby’s Career
Auston Matthews – $3.4 million
Matthews signed a four-year extension last August, rewarding him with $13.2 million AAV until 2028. As the league’s last player to come close to 70 goals, reaching 69 in 2023-24, he’d be making almost $10 million less per season if he was paid based on his No. 34 jersey.
Leon Draisaitl – $2.9 million
Leon Draisaitl became the highest-paid player in the salary cap era, with an AVV jumping to $14 million next season. He may be worth that and more, but once McDavid’s new deal kicks in, the team will be top-heavy with two bloated contracts that will hurt their ability to contend in the long run.
Nathan MacKinnon – $2.9 million
Nathan MacKinnon is the NHL’s reigning Hart and Ted Lindsay Trophy winner, taking home the league’s Most Valuable Player awards in June. With a salary of $12.6 million, he’d become one of the league’s least compensated superstars, seeing his wages drop to just $2.9 million.
Jonathan Huberdeau – $1.0 million
The City of Calgary would rejoice if this dream contract scenario were real, as Jonathan Huberdeau’s $10.5 million AVV will derail the team’s rebuilding plans for the next seven seasons. A former 100-point player, he’s a shell of his former self and would be a valued player on a $1 million AAV.
Rutger McGroarty – $200k
© Sammi Silber – The Hockey News
Somewhere in Lincoln, Nebraska, Rutger McGroaty’s parents would be smiling when their 20-year-old son not only makes the Penguins lineup out of training camp but was rewarded with a $2 million contract. Even though he could have picked a higher number like Bedard (98) or Macklin Celebrini (71), making $2 million annually before your 21st birthday would be quite an accomplishment.
Jeremy Swayman – $100k
Boston Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman is still a restricted free agent, holding out for a new contract valued at around $10 million annually. Considering he wears No. 1 with the club, his demands for a new contract would be all for nothing, as he would end up as one of the lowest-paid players in the NHL with a league minimum salary of $1 million.
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